Reloading, It's Not Just For Making Ammunition

There are a lot of tributes to the men and women who died on this day 71 years ago. I chose a different way to honor them and their sacrifice on the altar of freedom. Today I exercised that liberty they bought with such dear coin.

This is my reloading/gunsmithing bench. It's not nearly as nice as some but has the advantage of being cheap. Lu and I picked it up out of the scrap left over when the 7th ID moved out of Ft Ord. It's big, heavy and sturdy. I like it and it tickles me to have a piece of my old division with me. That's my RCBS single stage over there on the right. A progressive press is on my Badly Want list. Someday. It's not tidy but it is cozy and inviting. A good place to while away a few hours in quiet work and peaceful contemplation.

One of my pet loads for my Redhawk. It's stout but not too much so as I'm shooting hard lead bullets and lead deposits in the barrel are no fun to clean out. If you look closely you can see a recipe for 225 grain JHP at the bottom of the load info. I used both today.

I loaded one hundred fifty 240 grain lead SWC and one hundred 225 grain JHP. Practice and Make My Day. Ammunition by Six.

I love creating my own ammunition. I can tailor it for anything I want it to do. It's inexpensive, once the capitol outlay is paid for, and makes me feel connected to my spiritual ancestors. It's a Zen hobby. One that requires both careful attention to detail and an ability to do repetitious work over and over again. There's a mental aspect as well. Figuring out loads and combinations. Adjusting dies so they're operating exactly as you need them. Powders, primers, cases, bullets. Cleaning and lubing and inspecting.

It's also a truly American pastime. A statement of Liberty and a renunciation of the culture of dependence. It's kicking sand in the face of the bully and telling him to take his best shot. Here resides a free man. As long as my supplies hold out I can never be starved of the fuel of Liberty.

Then there's the moment you touch off the first round from a new batch. Will it even fire? How will it perform? Listening and feeling for the miniscule Pop of the hated squib or the mammoth BOOM of the dreaded double powder load. And the smile and thrill when it goes as planned and the new rounds both fire as expected and perform as hoped. Yeah, reloading is awesome and exciting.

What's next on the list for the Six bench? Maybe some 44-40 for Lu's beloved Vaquero. Some 45 LC for my Blackhawk? I'm running a little light on both 300 Win Mag and 30-30. Hmmm.

Ah, I know.

Perfect.

You all have a great weekend. I'll be in the man cave making a new batch of Freedom.

Six